As you may remember, every April 16, I write a remembrance about my Mama Sarah, who was murdered on this day.  She was murdered on her mother’s birthday (April 16) and buried on mine (April 18).  Today’s as we reflect, I want to look at Ruth 1:8, 2:20, 3:10: 

8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a relative of ours, one of our nearest kin.”

10 He said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.

The story of Ruth is one of my favorites in all of scripture. It’s a story of how kindness, or loving-kindness, or mercy redeemed lives.  We see in 1:8, Naomi asks the Lord to show His loving kindness to Ruth for her kindness to her. Then in 2:20, we see Noami say that the Lord has indeed shown His loving kindness to them through Boaz. Then we see Boaz say that Ruth has shown that same loyalty or loving-kindness to him, and in the end, he redeems Ruth and Noami and provides for them. 

Ruth is a story of redemption through loving-kindness.  Ruth, a Moabite, becomes in the line of David.  She is redeemed as a member of God’s family. Her loving kindness redeems Boaz, and Boaz’s redeems her. But another person is redeemed through this. Naomi enters into this story bitter and angry about the great loss she has had – losing her husband and her three sons. But through God’s, Boaz’s, and Ruth’s loving-kindness, she is redeemed from bitterness and is whole with family. 

For many years I was bitter and angry at my mom’s murder.  You can see it in my previous writing.  I faked it well, but deep down, I had a real root of anger and bitterness.  Her death hung over me like a dark shadow.  Most days, I didn’t acknowledge it.  But somedays it would come crashing through with anger and depression and self-guilt and loathing.  I sometimes couldn’t even name the funk that hung over me.  

But something has happened to me in these last few years.  It is the deep love that I feel every day for my family.  That love comes over me like a wave sometimes, in the same way, bitterness used to.  I’ve come to realize there is truly nothing I would not do for my family, no sacrifice I would not make, and in return, their love for me, especially my wife’s, has truly healed a lot of the pain in my life. 

For the first day of my adult life, I don’t dread today.  I am looking forward to going out tonight and listening to some good local music.  The love I have for my family and their love for me has brought forth some real healing in my soul. 

Kindness matters y’all.  Loving, loyal kindness from God redeemed Ruth and Noami.  Ruth showed it to Boaz and Boaz to her.  And together, that redeemed Naomi from her bitterness.  

Today, no matter how open the wound is that you face, it can be healed.  Maybe not today.  Maybe not tomorrow.  Maybe not this year.  But it can.  The Lord longs to show you kindness.  Not judgment.  Kindness.  There are those who long to show you kindness.  Look for them.  In church.  In community. And yes, even online.  Reach out to me.  I’d love to share with you the power of grace.  

And for us today, we have to show kindness to others. This world has become mean, mean, mean.  Maybe it always has been. But I worry this moment is turning folks to the dark side.  This world needs loving-kindness, now more than ever.  We see in these passages that loving-kindness can redeem. I’ve felt it in my life.  I want you to know it.  And I want you to show it. 

Because someone needs it, I am so very blessed to see this day because of Gods’ loving-kindness. Let’s share that with each other.  And with all the world.  

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